Cultural Interview

For this project, I have been asked to interview a person from a cultural background different from my own to learn about cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, and practices regarding health. Using the Andrews/Boyle transcultural assessment guide for individuals and families, I interviewed Mrs. H. Castillo. She is a 45-year old Filipino RN, who came to the United States 20 years ago and had since become an American citizen.
Mrs. Castillo can speak both English and Filipino. She states that most Filipinos are bilingual or even multilingual. Most Filipinos are taught English in school, speak Filipino as the official language, and have local dialects. She reports that communication is generally high context, which means that communication can have

They consider mealtimes as an opportunity for a family gathering, where family members discuss current issues and important events. Filipinos also recognize the link between diet and health, and know that food that is high in fat, salt, and sugar is unhealthy. Fasting is observed during Lent mostly by the Catholic population and during the month of Ramadan by a fairly large Muslim group. As a Catholic, Mrs. Castillo, her husband, and her in-laws observe dietary restrictions during Lent by avoiding meat, however this doesn’t apply to her children who were born in the United

Many Filipinos consider illness as part of God’s will. An article on Filipino health beliefs describes the concept of “kaloob ng Diyos,” which can be translated as the belief that illness is sometimes part of God’s plan for a person (Abad et al, 2014). Many Filipinos believe that faith can help bring about wellness. It is common for Filipinos to pray for recovery, seek blessing from religious leaders, and perform religious rituals to encourage healing. Mrs. Castillo’s values regarding health are influenced by different factors but mostly due to her background as a RN. She defines health as the interaction of many diverse factors and follows a holistic